To Name a Tribute
by MalkieriJester
Summary: A glimpse into the past. Where do some of these names come from? Made me think, so I just started typing out some nonsense, hope you dig it. One shot.


**To Name a Tribute**

Edditch hurried down the dirt road, he was completely exhausted, but what awaited him gave his legs a life of their own. The other miners chuckled and threw japes at his backside as he quickly outdistanced them in his hurry to get back to the Seam. They all knew that Perle was pregnant. And most of them understood the excitement of a first-time father to be. But just because they understood didn't mean that they would pass up an opportunity to give someone a hard time. He felt like skipping. He didn't actually skip, of course. That would give way too much fodder for jokes to the coal-faced miners walking slowly down the road behind him. But he _felt_ like skipping.

Any day now Perle was going to give him a son…or a daughter. It didn't matter. He was going to be a daddy! It was amazing how different the same path looked going in the other direction; heading to the mine for work was a dreary, ugly trip. But now everything was so beautiful! The last few mornings he had hated leaving Perle home alone. Well not _alone_ alone, her mother was with her, but _he_ should be with her. Her husband. The father of her child. He smiled even though he was sure to look foolish to passersby: black hair a disheveled mess, bright grey eyes shining out from the coal-black face that every miner wore home every night, walking quickly down the street swinging his lunch box in tune to his stride; and now a big goofy grin showing white teeth through coal-dusted lips. Since he couldn't skip, he began to whistle.

As he rushed through the Seam he waved to a few friends and neighbors (they mostly chuckled at him and waved back). He slowed himself down just a little so he didn't slam the door open. "Perle my pearl! Where's my baby? Ah! You're still holding out I see."

Perle turned from talking to her mother and smiled. That smile! He hoped that his face didn't show how helpless he felt before the disarming and totally breathtaking display that was his wife's smile. The long black silky hair, and gorgeous wide eyes were difficult enough to contend with on a daily basis, but when she smiled, he was lost. "Eddie!" It wasn't quite a squeal, pregnant mothers don't squeal. "Come and help me up!"

Edditch crossed the small room in two strides, reached down and drew his wife up to face him, "You know my love, one of these days you're going to have to deliver that baby to me. You've had him to yourself long enough." She reached up and kissed him then. He loved looking at her when they kissed. He studied her long black eyelashes contrasted by the olive tone of her cheek.

"Alright you two, that's enough of that." Perle's mother, Lavender, tried to sound gruff. Edditch could hear the laughter she was suppressing. "You do realize that you cannot start working on your second baby, until you actually get the first one out of its way? Come on, give over. Does your mother-in-law not get a hand up as well?" He reached down and gave Lavender his hand, blushing at having made her wait on their kissing.

"Hello mom. How was she today?"

"Oh, fine and well boy. And no. She is not showing any signs of labor yet. I'm taking your rations home, I'll start dinner as soon as I get there. You two don't take too long following me."

"We'll be there right behind you mother." Perle waited for the door to close behind her mother. Then she reach up and kissed him again. This time they weren't interrupted….

…As they washed up before heading to her parent's house for dinner Edditch found himself whistling again.

"We need to talk about names Eddy."

"Huh? I thought we were decided."

"Decided? What names have we decided on?"

"We chose Lavender for a girl, an Hays for a boy."

Perle shook her head grinning. "Oh no you don't. You see, we need to talk. If it's a boy I want to name him after your father."

"Look Perle, your dad has been a father to me since mine died. I want to name him after your father."

"I may look soft and fat right now Mr. Abernathy, but I'll have you know that I am no pushover."

"Okay, Mrs. Abernathy, how about this. Let's give him his own name and still honor both our dads. My father was Armitch, and your dad is Hays. If we have a son I say we call him Haymitch."

He could see the wheels turning in his wife's head as she rolled the named around, testing its flavor. Saying it quietly a couple of times. Suddenly she smiled at him again. "Haymitch Abernathy it is! Though it isn't going to matter once I give birth to our daughter."


End file.
